The New York Knicks' bench scoring has been popping back up as a real concern when it comes to this roster. However, the team does have a first round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and draft analyst Christopher Kline's latest mock has the Knicks grabbing Iowa's Bennett Stirtz at 25th overall. The 22-year-old point guard is six-foot-four with feel for the game and shot-making ability, setting him up to potentially help New York keep up a high-level offense throughout the entirety of games.
Knicks land Stirtz in FanSided's latest mock draft
In Kline's latest mock draft for FanSided, he paired the Knicks up with a 6'4 senior guard in Stirtz. This season, the Hawkeye is averaging 20.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He's also taking, and making, a fair deal of 3-pointers: Stirtz attempted 6.6 per game and made 38.2% of those looks over the course of 31 starts.
The analyst began his notes on the selection with an acknowledgement of which need he felt he was addressing, writing that the Knicks "often struggle to generate consistent offense when Jalen Brunson exits the game."
Fans who watched Jordan Clarkson drop 27 points on Wednesday night might think otherwise. But overall, Kline's point is valid. The Knicks had been known to want to upgrade at the guard spot for months before they traded for Jose Alvarado.
If they draft someone like Stirtz, though, it could take the onus off of players like Alvarado or Deuce McBride to score a ton of points. They can focus their efforts on the defensive end, where they can truly change entire playoff series for the Knicks.
Stirtz fits Knicks' prospect bill of experienced 3-point shooter
The analyst made sure to note Stirtz's unconventional path to Iowa, and eventually the NBA Draft, perhaps in part because it involves a great relationship with a coach. Those kinds of streets go two ways, and the fact that Ben McCollum has taken Stirtz with him from Division II competition at Northwest Missouri State to being a potential first-round pick.
Throughout Leon Rose's tenure as Knicks president, and draft guru Walt Perrin's as their Assistant General Manager, the team rarely drafts one-and-done college players. New York seems to prefer players with multiple years of organized, adult experience – whether they're heading to the NBA after several years in college or of playing in professional leagues overseas.
Stirtz going from #1 option on Iowa to Knicks bench-scoring demon makes a good deal of sense, with all of that considered. It would fit right alongside draft selections of guards like Immanuel Quickley, Deuce McBride, and Tyler Kolek. There's plenty of time left before fans will have any idea what the Knicks are doing with their draft pick, but Kline seems to have a solid plan going for them already.